Where should you go to receive the best care for medical treatment?

All too often, illness or injury show up out of the blue. When these situations occur, we’re faced with uncertainty about where to go for care, especially if the symptoms seem severe.

While the answer is not always simple, knowing the difference between when to head to the doctor’s office, visit urgent care or seek emergency care could save you time and money. These guidelines may help when making the decision to seek medical treatment. (This is not a replacement for medical advice. If you are unsure about symptoms you are experiencing, please call 911.):

Visit the doctor’s office when …

You or a family member are seeking preventative care or need to treat minor illnesses. A primary provider can provide regular checkups, prescribe medication, treat seasonal allergies and more.

Visit an urgent care clinic when …

You or a family member need quick care or after-hours care but it is not a life-threatening emergency. This includes minor burns and rashes, cuts and minor lacerations, flu, fractures and sport-related injuries.

Seek emergency care when …

You or a family member have a life-threatening situation or medical emergency including chest pain, difficulty breathing, major trauma and other dangerous symptoms. Call 911 for an ambulance if your life is in danger.

Employee Services has created a flier with additional information regarding options for the appropriate care for your health situation. Also, CU Health Plan members can find a list of urgent care centers by using Anthem’s Find a Doctor tool and Kaiser’s CU microsite.

Here’s what CU covers, no matter which option you choose

Copayments for each ER visit for CU Health Plan’s Exclusive, Extended and Kaiser plans are increasing to $250, but will be waived if admitted to the hospital.

CU Health Plan – Exclusive and CU Health Plan – Kaiser has a $30 copayment for each urgent care visit and to your primary care provider.

CU Health Plan – Extended has a $40 copayment for each urgent care visit and to your primary care provider.

CU Health Plan – High Deductible has a 15 percent coinsurance payment after meeting your deductible for emergency care, urgent care and medical office visits.

View details of offered medical plans side-by-side with the new Interactive Medical Plan Comparison Tool (not recommended for Internet Explorer or mobile browsers) or the Classic Medical Plan Comparison Tool.

Open Enrollment continues until 5 p.m. May 11. Visit the Employee Services’ website and make the smart call on your benefits package.